New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-08-08
A MAGNIFICENT CRIPPLE.
PREPARING rRoUBADoUR FOR RACE.
DOLLY SIR JOHN FOR sALE-CoNEY ISLAND JOCKEY
CLUB STAKES.

The modern racehorse trainer, how he lords II
aver tho paddock What air Of mystery nn'
fathomabIo doth hedge about himi Louis SILVER
with delight when no gives them smile and trembe
With fear at his frown. The paddock's stage and
all the trainers and Jockeys players.
Tho preparation of the mighty cripple Troutsfour
for race a theatrical exhibition limited scale.
II is not "As Like It. out OF doors but 1t is funny
to . man who watches 1t from the shade of a tree
The pride of Pttsbo Is going try conclusions with
the Bard He has had his preliminary, received the
applause Of faithful thousands, and retres TO
the cooling ground followed by some thirty men each
bent having word with the trainer to see III no
meant" you know Garrison dismounts under 'nor
admiring giances and modestly places himself under
the left Of the long and saow Rogers Who seanos
aloof like Cassius with lean and hungry look Three
sablemeD get in each Others way TO remove the saoo
One proceeds to scrape tho dripping HANKS aho'hor
sponges parched mouth while the third untes 'he
red bandagos that the fore legs ilke stocnpes
Carefully he unwraps the narrow strips OF nanne'
roubadour lowers his head to the operation The
trainer docs the same The snapper seems unconr
cerned The tous draw nearer sharpen their glances
ct the discolored joints and follow with interested
eyes movement of Mr. Rogeiss hand as 1t goes up
one leg and the other to II both are there
The tight bandages have left in tho hair and
skim causing the legs to look they had been fired
The critical eye discovers that the limbs not fat
but round in other words. filed by the swelling Of
tentlons Tbe horse betrays no sense Of palm He
neither leg, but stands nafootcd on all fours
Not much of cripple afer all, the shrewd spec
tator to himself
Troubadoir is blanketod and nos takes promenade
accompanied by stab!eman, eager eyes noting every
step to detect signs of Iamcness lucy go unre-
warded. Tho last bell rings. Mr. Rogers beckons
and the groom leads the horse to him. on goes the
blanket and goes The saddle Everything is ready.
The stoops for the fourth and last time to run
his fingers the dickey legs, and with suspicious
glance at the touts, drawing his lank form to more
than Its full height that possible, lets his
eye fall upon Garrison and the two step aside Stable
law is laid down to the Jockey In solemn undertone,
the orders being accumulated with emphatic head
shaklngs and received with corresponding mods Car
rison returns Tr0ubadours left sde gives his ankle
to the trainer and is lifted int. the saddle. At
hold tho stirrups while he adjusts his feet
He spurs. The whip which Mr. Rogers
places in his hand is clutched between the right knee
the saddle AS Trouba1our strides of the trainer
strikes him playfully the flank with towel, the
touts fall In line and the procession moves toward the
paddock Twenty questions are fired at M Rogerss
He hears none. Men crowd up to him and whis-
per, but he goes his way unmndful Of such mosquito
oites. Ono lucky fellow at length succeeds in I'M
locking those Jaws and oing that tongue and Is in
the seventh heaven.
The is run, Troubadour is hurried back to the
cooling ground, going very lame, some say favortng
the off fore foot others declare while the sccpcal
maintain that the horse is perfectly sound and lost the
race through lack Of work He is in perfect ather,
but not blowing II distressed. An ubiquitous TO
porter stands under the big apple tree within yard
Of Troubadours keeping his eye on those dickey
legs For five minutes the horse does not Shift his
position II he is broken down, thinks the young man.
he will occasionally foot the other and he
waits patiently for evidence which comes not. The
stable who had before attended him appear with
n of
hazel extract, mustang linament and bucket OF
water. with which they battle and battle and battle
those legs from knee to cOronet. The legs look pre-
cisely they did before the To the touch they
secm abnOrmaly warm, but then TroubadOur is
thoroughly heated. When the lotion is gone the men
produce several yards of flannel and proceed to
encase the legs by wrapping the strips round and
round. Mr.. Rogers comes up.
" How do you account for his defeat 2" inquired a
little with whom wisdom Will not die.
Looh at is legs" is all the trainer says which Is
highly unsatisfactory the Inquirer has been looking
at his legs for five minutes and discovered nothing
Nothing venture nothing have.
" Did ne break DOWN.
Look at is legs" Mr.. Rogers strides away, fol-
lowed by a negro leading Troubadour.
Many admirers of the magnificent cripple inquired
after him Saturday and among the replies elected
from whose business keeps them at the course
day and night was this
:" l don't think Troubadour Is near as lame as some
people make out In my opinion he'll show up agn
next Saturday In the Champion an beat 'em all"
horse should be retired forthwith
An unusually handsome and modest man found him
self wedged among lot of reporters and bookmakcrs
In what is known as the press car on Saturday. He
had been to Long Branch and the races. He wore a
dark sack coat light coOred walls tcoat bottom button
buttoned white shirt, white collar, pink cravat st aw
hat with black band trousers Of quiet shade patent
leather shoes and pair Of small field gas His
hair eyeb ows and mustache were very dark, his com
plexIon ruddy. The reporter beside whom he found a
seat scrubbed away until the stran inquired In
the most uncOncerned manner imaginable II he knew
who Saratoga.
"TOuche Pas first race Him alaya second" was the
short reply. Pause of one minute.
DO you know who the third-the Kearney
Stakes 2"
Fred Gebhard's old horse, Eolc"
"Who second ~
"Hidalgo"
The reporter looked at the man and detected smile
Of abstraction In the OF fading away. Then
the stranger, ne blushed and said "Mr
Gebhard 1 congratulate you. Eoles victories are
always popular"
Mr. Gebhard thought So too and praised Barbee.
"Pm sorry Eole was not entered for the Champion
he continued al should like to have him
that next Saturday had idea Of training
of the fall stakes for which have lately entered
him He must be quite ten years old"
"what is the trouble with him 2"
"Temper He Is perfectly sound and always has
BEEN far I know. You can't ride him with
whip spur. The old fellow positively refuses to
be driven To make him d. his best 1t is only
oary 10 pat hin on the back"
" How is Palanca?"
"The mare has awful leg and don't think she
will ever jump again. Sho very good this year
and had great hopes of her. Who won the steeple-
chase ~
"a rank outsider-Sam Emery
"And who second p
"Retrbution."
Lorillards horses always second Stecple
chasing Is expensive business. think of selling out"
"You'd better. TN hurt your reputation If you
keep at it,"
"Think so Well I've set my price on Jolly Sir
John, who is at Saratoga, and he may be sold by this
time"
Mr.. Gerhard thought that II Troubadour should DO
cent for the Champion Stakes he would win. Lawyer
John NJ. Bowers Joined Mr.. GebhaM on the way up.
He says he has many friends the races that he
sant hit the winners. Hereafter he Will take all their
tps lump them together and play the other horse
Meantime be goes TO Europe